How do I treat dry skin?

1. Use only moisturizing soaps (actually non-soap cleansers are best, such as Dove).
2. Pick a moisturizer you like and use it everyday. Even Sunday. 
3. Get plenty of omega fatty acids in your diet such as wild salmon, flaxseed, walnuts and avocados. 

It's a myth that drinking more water will help dry skin. Dry skin is a problem of lack of oil on the skin, not dehydration of the skin. Fix the oil problem and your skin will be glowing again soon. 

It’s important to keep dry skin well-hydrated all the time by avoiding dry heat, hot showers and baths, rough clothing, and irritating cleansing products. Because bath soaps can strip the natural lipids from the skin, leaving it flakey, scaly, and cracked, use a moisturizing soap/lotion in a liquid form. In addition, super-saturate with a moisturizer immediately after bathing while the skin is still damp. In some cases, oatmeal baths are helpful when skin is extremely dry.

During the winter months, cold air, dry wind, and low humidity combine to increase evaporation and reduce sweating that results in dry, chapped skin that flakes, cracks, and even bleeds. To add moisture to the air, use a humidifier in your home or at least in your bedroom while sleeping. Be sure to clean the humidifier basin regularly to keep mold and mildew from breeding.

Check your diet to see if you are getting plenty of essential fatty acids. Avoid the harsh rays of the sun, and stay out of smoke-filled rooms. Smoking causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels), and decreases oxygen and other nutrients supplied by the capillaries in the skin.

To moisturize dry skin, look for products that have ingredients such as glycerin, lactic acid, sodium lactate, urea, alpha hydroxyl acids, petrolatum, squalane, lanolin, and vegetable oils.

To treat dry skin, choose a good moisturizer -- and break one daily habit, says dermatologist Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton. Find out what it is, plus tips for choosing a moisturizer, by watching this video.

Manhattan dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD—RealAge expert and author of The Mind-Beauty Connection—shares the best nonprescription solution for dull and dry skin.

Beauty solution: Moisturizers that contain glycerin, a potent "humectant" that draws water from the atmosphere into the skin's outer layer. Apply twice a day after cleansing or using a potentially irritating exfoliating product, like one containing glycolic acid.

Look for: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion or any other glycerin-based moisturizer that also contains silicone, which makes the moisturizer glide smoothly onto even rough skin and bolsters the water-loss barrier, so your skin's less likely to dry out, says Dr. Amy.

Take the RealAge Test!

You need to apply moisturizer on your dry skin. If your skin becomes red or gets irritated or stings when you put on any kind of moisturizer, it is being sensitive. In response, you can use products with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as aloe vera and soy. And stay away from irritating substances such as glycolic acid, chemical sunscreen, and certain preservatives and detergents.